Family Bonds
by Blinded HP
Summary: A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next. This WILL be Harry/Edward in the end... It just might take a while...
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Family bonds

**Summary:** A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, they belong to JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.

**AN:** I have read all of the Harry Potter books and watched all the movies, however, I have not read the Twilight Saga and have only watched the movies. Please forgive any errors regarding character personalities and developments.

**AN:** The first part of this chapter is written from the point of view of a baby, so please bear with me. Big things that sway are trees, protectors are parents, etc. etc. If there are some things that you can't figure out, just imagine how poor Harry must have felt! J LOL

**Chapter 1**

Eyes the colour of emerald looked on as a bright green light hit his mother. The understanding that his protector, his comforter was no longer among the living did not reach the baby's mind as such a concept was not one he could understand.

The stranger standing over him was doing something else now but the baby knew one thing only, he wanted to be picked up and held close by his protector.

As a very bright beam of light raced towards him, the baby cried out in fright but it quickly turned to pain and he cried and cried and knew nothing of what was going on around him.

The stranger was gone now but this fact did not register. Hard things were falling down all around him and as something struck his arm, the baby scrunched up his face and just wished with all his being that someone would pick him up and hold him close.

All the commotion stopped and nothing could be heard for a very long time. Emerald eyes opened and the baby started crying in earnest as he realised that he was all alone. Big things that he remembered seeing outside with his protectors were all around him and a soft noise seemed to come from the gentle sway of their arms. He didn't know what they were but knew that it could not hurt him so he did not fear them. What he did fear was the darkness and the fact that no one seemed to be coming to hold him.

His protector who always tried to get him to say "Mmma" was gone and the tears kept falling.

Something came over to him from behind one of the big things and as a loud noise and big pointy things came at him, the baby once again cried out and wished with all of his being that he was somewhere where someone could come and pick him up and protect him.

This time the baby opened his eyes as he felt something fall on him. It didn't hurt but he still didn't like it and his tears fell faster. The thing that had scared him was gone and the pointy things which had been so very close were gone now.

Nothing was familiar to him. No one was there to hold him. There were loud noises again but this time it didn't come from something crawling towards him, this time it came from all around and he couldn't see what it was. A bright light filled the sky and things kept on falling on him. It felt like when his protector put him in that funny thing with the stuff that he liked to drink. But he wasn't allowed to drink it, he was only allowed to sit in it and let her put it all over him. But this time he wasn't in that funny thing and his body was still covered, not like when his mother would put him in that thing with just his body and nothing covering him. The things covering him now were pushing down on him and were getting very uncomfortable.

He cried as new sensations ran through him. He didn't know what it was called exactly but he knew that he suddenly couldn't keep still and his mouth kept on hurting him as the funny things that always hurt him when they appeared in his mouth bounced on each other. He couldn't even see anymore because whatever kept falling on him made his eyes hurt and his body hurt and he just** really wanted someone to pick him up!**

Emerald eyes grew wide in panic as for the very first time, the baby _felt_ a new sensation course through his body right before all the noise and the falling things were gone. Now he looked around and found that there were again big things around him and as his body kept on moving and his mouth kept making the funny movements and noises, the baby finally couldn't take it anymore and his whole body sagged and he knew no more.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore looked at the crumpled form of Lily Potter with a heavy heart. Finding James in the living room had been hard but to find Lily next to a demolished crib nearly broke his heart. The room was destroyed and the crib unrecognizable as a sleeping place for a child. Harry was nowhere to be found and Albus could not imagine what condition the baby would be in if he had been within the crib during the attack. Lily's form next to said crib would indicate that this had indeed been the case and Albus readied himself as much as possible to find a mangled baby within the nearby vicinity.

Sirius Black arrived during his inspection of the place and after a tense few words, Albus was satisfied enough with the explanation from the young man to at least give him a chance and to help locate Peter Pettigrew. Knowing that James and Sirius were as close as brothers, Albus was inclined to believe that Peter had indeed been the Secret Keeper and not Sirius as they had been told by Lily and James. Veritaserum would put all doubts to rest and as long as the young man kept his wand strapped, Albus would give him the benefit of the doubt.

Nothing more was found within the ruins of the house and Albus helped a grief stricken Sirius out into the yard where they did a quick sweep to see if there was any trace of either Harry or Voldemort.

Finding nothing, they both disapparated to Hogwarts where Albus questioned Sirius once more, this time with the aid of Veritaserum. Knowing now for certain that Sirius had indeed not betrayed the Potters, Albus relaxed and offered the use of his fireplace so that Sirius could contact Remus and anybody else he felt needed to know of the tragic events.

The amount of magic Albus had felt in the nursery was staggering but there was no proof that anything else had happened there. Lily was dead and Harry was presumed to be dead. Voldemort had left no trace and Albus despaired that the prophecy had already taken three lives. Alice and Frank would need to tighten their security and Albus made a mental note to volunteer his help with some extra wards around their house.

Pouring himself and Sirius a strong cup of tea, Albus closed his eyes as he mourned and remembered the lively prankster and his lovely wife and the son they had that Albus would not even have a chance to welcome to Hogwarts.

* * *

Carlisle gave his wife a hug and kiss as he settled down on the sofa. Living in Denali, Alaska, the Cullen family all had to find jobs and schools so as to start a new life, again. This was a routine they were all quite familiar with. Being vampires, they could not live in one town for more than 8 years before people started to ask uncomfortable questions about their looks and lack of aging. For Carlisle and Esme, this was not quite as problematic as with their "children". Edward and Alice especially were the first targets of these type of questions.

The fact of the matter is, they could not age. The day they were turned into vampires were the day their bodies were set into stone. Every imperfection, every hair out of place was righted and beauty beyond words were bestowed on them.

The local hospital was only too glad that Carlisle could join them and after a long tedious hour in an interview, Carlisle was quite confident that he would get the position. Their "children" had already been enrolled in school and as soon as the new term started in September, they would commence a new chapter in their lives. It might seem boring to an outsider, doing your school years over and over again, and truthfully, it sometimes _was_ boring, but the fact that new technologies were discovered every year and the fact that most of them knew that they were an actual _part _of history, gave them enough incentive to keep on doing their best to fit in as a family wherever they moved.

A door breaking off its hinges had both Carlisle and Esme up before the wood could even meet the floor. The words of reprimand caught in Carlisle's throat as the smell hit him. One of his children were carrying a human into their house.

Rosalie's panicked words were quickly soothed by Esme as she wrapped the distraught woman in her arms. Emmett laid a bundle on the dining table and Carlisle stepped forward, already knowing what he would find.

Dark tufts of hair peaked out of the blanket and Carlisle's sensitive hearing picked up the wheezing in the baby's lungs. The wet state of the blankets told Carlisle that the little one had been exposed to the elements for quite some time and that the wheezing he heard were most likely the first stages of pneumonia.

Giving swift orders to his family, _Rosalie, get me a dry blanket or towel. Emmett, get the car started, _and handing the little one over to Esme to undress, Carlisle made a quick phone call to the hospital to warn them and to give them time to get ready for the arrival of a very sick baby.

It was quite a sight to see as the four Cullens and baby rushed into the hospital. Edward, Alice and Jasper were visiting their sister coven and Carlisle could only thank the stars for that small miracle as Jasper still had trouble controlling himself around humans.

The frantic questions and movements from the nurses and doctor drew his attention and Carlisle did his best to explain the situation.

From what Rosalie told him on their way to the hospital, she and Emmett had been hunting when they stumbled on the baby. They had hunted that exact part of the forest just minutes before and were tracking a deer back through the thicket when Rosalie smelled the human. It astonished Carlisle that they both had missed the little one the first time but there was no time to think on it right now. The fact of the matter was that the little one was soaked to the bone when he arrived at their home and although they had wrapped him in dry cloths, the damage had already been done.

Leaving the baby in the capable hands of the hospital staff. Carlisle escorted his family to the local police station so that they could report the incident and find out if anyone had filed a missing child's report.

Two hours later, the family of vampires returned to their home with heavy hearts. No one knew who the little one was or how he had come to be in that forest.

Carlisle looked at the hurt and anger on both his mate and his 'daughter's faces and knew that he would have to schedule a family meeting as soon as the rest of his family came home. The thought of bringing a human into their house had never been as appealing as it was now and Carlisle already knew what the answer of at least three of his family would be if he suggested adopting the little one. He would plant the idea in their minds and if no one had come to claim the baby by the time the hospital discharged him, Carlisle knew what he would do.

**End Chapter 1**

So, this is my very first cross-over fic and I would dearly appreciate your feedback.

Thank you for reading!

**Edit: (11 February 2013)** Fixed a couple spelling and grammar mistakes. If there are any more, please let me know! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Family bonds

**Summary:** A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, they belong to JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.

Thank you all sooo much for your lovely reviews and support! I really appreciate it!

**Chapter 2**

The little boy crouched low as he approached his prey. Eyes bright with mischief, the five year old jumped out from his hiding place and threw his arms around the solid, hard neck of his intended victim.

A startled exclamation of _Anthony Cullen!_ had the little one in peals of laughter as he hung like a limpet from his sister's shoulders. It was always an accomplishment for Anthony when he managed to surprise Ally as she just always seemed to know when someone was coming or if something bad was going to happen.

He quickly found himself placed on his sister's hip as she grabbed hold of his arm, supported his leg and then pulled him from her back onto her hip.

Squirming as fingers tickled his sides, Anthony Cullen, the youngest member of the family cried out amidst helpless laughter in the hope that someone would come to his aid.

He knew that someone would come if he called any name in his family, even though he wasn't in any danger and even though Ally wasn't hurting him, he knew that one single word, even just a whisper, would have most of his family at his side within seconds. He didn't quite know why his family was always so fast or how on earth they managed to always hear when he was trying to tell someone a secret, but they did. Always.

Okay, not always. If he wanted to sneak up to Ally or Eddy or anyone in his family really and he concentrated really hard on being as silent as possible and wishing that no one would know he was coming, then they didn't hear him. Maybe they just humoured him and played into his hands but whatever the reason was, Anthony was grateful for their consideration.

Giving one last helpless squeal, Anthony gasped out _Eddy_ and as he knew would happen, his saviour was there and lifted him away from his evil sister. Wrapping his small arms around his brother, Anthony stuck his tongue out at Ally and snuggled closer to his brother.

While Anthony knew that his family was different and would almost always stop him from falling or scratching himself or even bumping his head, he also knew that if he really wanted to, he could get absolutely anything from any of them.

He did not know how or why it happened that he came to live with the Cullens. He knew that he was not their real brother and family but that did not matter. They all loved him more than anything in the world and unfortunately for them, Anthony knew this and he knew that he could get away with things that most of the kids in his class would never be able to from _their_ families.

Sitting on his very favourite brother's lap, Anthony leaned his head back on the strong shoulder as Eddy started playing something on the piano.

It was a very soothing tune and after a busy day of school and planning mischief, Anthony fell asleep to the soft hum of his brother and sister's talking.

* * *

Edward gave his sister a small smile as the little one fell asleep on his lap. He quickly finished the song he was playing and picked up his little brother to lay him down on the sofa.

It had been almost four years since Anthony had come into their lives and the whole Cullen family would agree that it had been the best four years of their immortal lives. When the baby had first arrived at their house about three weeks after Rosalie and Emmett found him in the forest, everyone had been on edge about having a human living with them.

Jasper especially had a hard time getting used to having the little one there and although his control had snapped once or twice, someone was always close by to stop him before he could harm the newest member of their family.

Carlisle had pulled Edward aside as soon as the little one arrived and asked him to see if he could find out where the baby came from and who left him in that forest. That was the first time that any of them realised that their newest addition to the family was not quite normal.

Edward could read the baby just as easily as any other human but the things he saw in his mind was definitely _not_ normal. People waving sticks around that caused the dishes to wash themselves, those same sticks could do a number of other things and after talking it through with the rest of his family, the vampires all concluded that, no matter how insane it sounded, their newest brother's birth family could do magic.

It was a very emotional evening as Edward told the rest of his family that the little one's mother died right before his eyes and although he was not certain, from what Edward could read in his mind, the father had also died in another part of the house.

After much consideration, Carlisle decided that it would be best if they did not use the little one's birth name, Harry James Potter, but rather distanced themselves from his old life in the hope to better protect him if someone was still after the Potter family.

The things that Edward saw in the little one's mind put little doubt to the fact that against these humans, the Cullen family were easy prey.

Anthony Cullen was named such after spending one day with the Cullen family and refusing to leave Edward's side. No one, not even Esme could get the little one to remove his locked grip from Edward's body and so they named the little one Edward's shadow in a joking manner only for Rosalie to then say that since he was a second skin on Edward he should get his second name.

Edward forced his mind back to the present and quickly pulled a blanket from the hall cupboard to cover Anthony with.

Alice playfully scolded Edward for his earlier actions of "rescuing" Anthony from her clutches and although Edward knew it was true, he could not help the fact that their little brother had him firmly wrapped around his little fingers.

The only person in their family who could even remotely deny those expressive green eyes was Alice and Edward thought that it might be because she herself had a very mischievous streak. Rosalie and Esme doted on Anthony and the little boy had never been hungry or thirsty in his life. Sometimes he would get so fed up with their hovering that he refused to come out of Edward's room but they still managed to persuade Edward to take the plates and cups and give whatever was in them to Anthony.

There was also not a child in the world who was more loved than Anthony. The whole family had grown to love him and although Edward did not have the love of a mate, he was certain that what he felt for Anthony would surpass even that of his love for his life partner. He could see it in the eyes of the others as well, as long as this little one was human and defenceless, they would do anything and everything within their power to protect him.

These thoughts brought Edward to a question which had been growing in his mind for a few days and he turned to Alice to voice his suspicions.

"Have you noticed anything strange happening recently whenever Anthony is involved?"

At his sister's confused look, Edward elaborated.

"It has happened a few times now that he has managed to sneak up on me without a sound and not a whisper in his mind that alerted me."

All confusion cleared on Alice's face and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! That is exactly what happened this afternoon, which is why I was tickling the little miscreant! He sneaked up on me and gave me the fright of my life. And you know how difficult it is to sneak up on _me_, even more so than with most vampires."

They fell silent to think over the happenings and as the thought formed in Alice's mind, Edward said it out loud. "Magic."

Never before had Anthony shown the same level of power that Edward read in his mind that very first night. They had all assumed that the magic sticks were necessary for those who wielded magic but now they were confronted with a new possibility.

Rushing to the phone, Edward called Carlisle and without giving too much away, he requested that his sire return home as soon as possible. Esme came into the room, having heard Edward's side of the conversation and Alice explained their thoughts and feelings on the matter.

When Carlisle arrived home forty five minutes later, the whole family was gathered and they discussed the possible repercussions of what they had found. There wasn't really any greater danger to Anthony or themselves now that they could see that Anthony could do magic without the stick but they all thought it best to not just leave it as it was.

Emmett was the one who came up with the perfect solution. They would tell Anthony what they knew of magic and of his birth parents and then they would encourage him to do the impossible. Since they themselves did not know the limits of magic, they thought it best to put no limits forth and to let their little one find his own limits and comforts.

It was quite a sight to see as the seven vampires surrounded the little human and waited for him to wake up with barely contained enthusiasm.

* * *

Anthony Cullen opened his eyes and licked his lips only to realise that the ice cream he had been eating just a minute ago was not there and had only been in his dreams. With a pout, he sat up and gave a small scream of fright as he came face to face with seven expectant faces.

"It wasn't me!" was the first words that left his mouth and as his mother gave him a suspicious look, Anthony realised that that was the wrong thing to say.

"Er, what's going on?" there, that was better.

Emmett laughed at him and Anthony pouted even more before sticking his tongue out at his brother. His father lifted him onto his lap and as everyone took a seat around them, Anthony realised that something big must have happened.

Even knowing that he was not their child or brother by birth, it still hurt to hear it from his father's mouth and as the explanation unfolded, Anthony sniffled and clung with all his might to the solid strength wrapped around him.

The explanations of how he had been able to sneak up on them recently left Anthony speechless. He had _magic?!_ It was good to know that they had not just been humouring him and that it had really been his own stealth that allowed him to sneak up on them, but _magic?_

This really threw him and Anthony could not form any kind of response. His father then explained their idea and Anthony clapped enthusiastically as he suddenly and forcefully said "Cookie!"

Disappointment unlike any other filled him as absolutely nothing happened. Tears filled his eyes but before they could fall, Eddy knelt down in front of him and encouraged him to not give up and to try something else.

For what felt like hours and hours to little Anthony, he called out and tried all kinds of different things but nothing worked. His family had decided that maybe the fact that they were all swarming around him was distracting him and in the end only Eddy and Ally stayed with him as he tried again and again.

Frustration unlike any other filled him as he once again called for a glass of Orange juice and nothing happened.

Screaming at everyone that he just wanted to **be left alone! **Anthony suddenly felt a tightening all around him, as if he was stuck in one of those playground drums and then his family and his house was gone and he was falling on his bum in the middle of some woods.

Sobbing and panicking at the fact that his family was missing, Anthony wishes with all his might that Eddy would find him and pick him up and just hold him tight for the rest of his life. He promised he would never ever sneak up on any of them again if they would just come and get him!

And suddenly Eddy was there, as well as the rest of his family and Anthony clung to his brother's shoulders and sobbed his little heart out.

Soon he was back home and his panicked mind had settled a bit. His father then asked him exactly what happened and as he thought about it, Anthony realised that when he had wished really hard that his family would just leave him alone, he had thought about his favourite spot in the woods and he really, really wanted to be there and then he was.

Eddy wrapped his arms around him tighter and Anthony listened closely as his brother encouraged him to concentrate on that same feeling, that same wish but this time to wish for his glass of orange juice.

It took a little time, but after the third try, Anthony suddenly found his lap drenched in orange juice and although it was really uncomfortable and wet, he was just so happy that he had done it! He had done magic!

His family all praised him and kissed his cheek and Esme picked him up to quickly get him in the bath and then ready for dinner and bed.

It was with a contented sigh that Anthony snuggled into his bed covers that night, thinking of all the mischief he could now accomplish with his magic!

**End Chapter 2**

Most people loved the baby pov in the previous chapter and although someone expressed their dislike of it, I'm glad that they kept reading and is willing to give this fic a try.

What did you think of this chapter?

Ideas and critique are welcome and needed


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Family bonds

**Summary:** A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, they belong to JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.

Thank you all sooo much for your lovely reviews and support! I really appreciate it!

AN: The timeline of the Harry Potter fics indicate that Harry went to Hogwarts in 1991 which means he was born in 1980. I'm going to change this so that it fits into the Twilight timeline better and you will also find that Harry is still quite young when they move to Forks. (Not 17 as in most of the HP/Twilight cross-overs)

**Chapter 3**

Anthony was jumping up and down in excitement as his family packed their belongings for the move. Since he could remember, Anthony and the rest of the Cullens had lived in Alaska. Knowing what he did now, Anthony could understand why his family chose such an isolated and cold place to live – a city was not the place for vampires after all.

His father had told him the truth about them when Anthony turned ten, well, when they thought he turned ten but no one was 100% certain. Edward had taken a look through his memories when he was still very young and come to the conclusion that his birthday was somewhere in July. Since his very first birthday cake which his birth mother had made did not have a date on it, only a number, Edward had taken a look at the calendar on the wall and found it open on the month of July. Nothing else was visible that would indicate the exact date of his birth so his father had decided on the fifteenth of July.

Finding out that your family were all immortal vampires was quite a shock to the system. Anthony knew that strange things could happen and that there were strange beings out in the world, look at him, he had magic! Vampires though, that had shocked him quite a bit. The fact that Rosalie and Emmett had found him in the forest now made more sense since he already knew how _he_ had ended up there, it had always puzzled him what his brother and sister had been doing there…

Looking at his family, or rather the blurs they had become, Anthony smiled and focused on his magic. It had taken him years to be able to find his magic on instinct but he was getting better at it and after finding the strong pulse within him, Anthony focused on what he wanted. _Slow down!_ He was uncertain whether his family actually slowed down or if his magic just helped him to interpret their actions better but whichever the case, it did not really matter. Finding that he could now actually understand their rushed words, Anthony quickly volunteered his help as he heard that Emmett was looking for his stack of DVD's.

Focusing on what he knew the stack looked like, Anthony brought the elusive DVD's to him and smiled happily as they all rearranged themselves again and fell into place next to him.

If he accidentally forgot to mention to Emmett that he now had what his brother was looking for, who was to know?

Ten minutes later, strong hands lifted him clean off the couch and Anthony squealed as Emmett knuckled his head while reprimanding him for _stealing my DVD's!_

His mother came to his rescue quickly and with a last sweep of the house, the family of eight made their way to their various cars and set off for the long journey to their new home.

* * *

Twelve year old Anthony Cullen closed his eyes as the wind swept through his hair and over his face. His arms were locked firmly around Edward's shoulders and bubbling laughter left him as they raced through the forest. They had been in Forks for a week now and Anthony had been going stir crazy in their very lavish house.

The woods surrounding their property had beckoned him and after much pleading and pouting, his parents had allowed him to go exploring with Edward. The Quileute tribe had been informed about Anthony the day they arrived in Forks and although it had taken a lot of arguments and persuasion, the wolves were satisfied enough for now.

Anthony was very curious about the Quileute tribe but no amount of begging could convince Edward to take him to the border where the vampires were not allowed to cross.

Clinging tightly to his brother, Anthony let his thoughts take him where they would and just enjoyed this time alone with Edward.

He did not know exactly why, but his whole life Anthony had stuck to Edward like glue. If the family went somewhere, Anthony stuck by Edward's side. If Edward wanted to visit Tanya or anyone else from their sister coven, Anthony would beg to go with. There was just something invisible that pulled him towards his brother and Anthony had never been able to put his finger on it.

They arrived at a cliff face and Edward gently dropped him to the ground. Standing there in the peaceful forest with his brother, Anthony could not help but think of how lucky he was to have been found by Rosalie and Emmett that night. Who knew what would have happened to him if those two had not stumbled upon him? Leaning ever so slightly to his left so that he could rest his head on Edward's shoulder, Anthony took in the beauty of the place.

* * *

Jacob Black was a very fun person to be around, Anthony decided. His new friend entertained him with stories of his childhood and of the adventures he and the other kids on the reservation had experienced. Although younger than Jacob, Anthony could see that they could become great friends one day.

School would be starting the following Wednesday and Anthony was crushed to realise that Jacob went to school on the reservation. None of his siblings were going to Middle school so Anthony would be all on his own for two whole years.

His depressing thoughts were interrupted as his new friend dragged him up from the ground and challenged him to a race on the beach. Laughing and playing, Anthony soon forgot all about his morose thoughts regarding school.

Two boys by the names of Quill and Embry joined in and the race soon turned into a game of tag. As the sun set over the horizon, Anthony said goodbye to his three friends and rushed to get home, knowing that a scolding awaited him.

Sure enough, the moment he rematerialized in their living room, his whole family was upon him demanding answers….

* * *

Edward and Alice paced up and down the room as they thought about where Anthony could have gone. They had been in Forks for two months now and never before had Anthony just disappeared without telling anyone where he was going or how long he would be. The fact that Alice couldn't _see_ him distressed them both and they soon had the whole family home and on a frantic search.

They went over every small detail of every conversation any of them had with Anthony over the last two days in the hope of finding an answer as to where he had gone.

Nothing stood out. Nothing made sense! Anthony was happy, he was settling in alright and nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

It was a long four hours later that their elusive brother materialized in front of them and they all started bombarding him with questions.

Carlisle could see that his youngest was both determined and ashamed. He quickly calmed his family down and pulled Anthony over to a sofa where he sat down next to him.

"Anthony, we have all been worried sick. Where have you been?" Carlisle did his best to keep his tone even and concerned, making sure that no anger leaked through.

Anthony looked up at him with tears forming in his eyes and Carlisle once again had a hard time calming the rest of his family in order to get an answer from his youngest son.

"I just wanted to meet new friends, dad. I asked Eddy that day in the woods if we could say hello to the wolves but he said no and since then mom and Rosalie has been hovering over me and Jasper wouldn't let me leave the _house_ even and I just couldn't, I didn't… I just wanted…"

Carlisle wrapped his arms around Anthony and cursed himself for not realising what was happening. The fact that Anthony had called Edward _Eddy, _showed just how distressed his youngest son really was. His youngest was still a growing human boy and even though Carlisle saw his five other children as _his_, they were not in fact _children_.

Anthony was a growing boy and was reaching his teenage years, years which Carlisle knew were some of the most difficult a human ever went through. That his family's protectiveness was suffocating him was really no surprise. Carlisle knew that Anthony was a bit more spoiled than most human kids but they really couldn't help it. He also knew that even with his mischievous streak, Anthony had a very good heart and would never deliberately hurt anyone, no matter how spoiled he was. That he had done so with his actions today must bother him immensely and Carlisle vowed to do better from now on.

"Alright Anthony. I understand what you are saying and we can sort this all out now. What you did, the fact that you left home without telling anyone was wrong and you _will_ be grounded for it. That said, I know that we have all been stifling you with our hovering and doting and I promise we will give you your space. The Quileute tribe has a treaty with us, as I explained when we got here and although we are not allowed to go over the border, you as a human are not limited as we are."

Protests rose up from most of his family but Carlisle firmly put a stop to it.

"School starts next week and I encourage you to find friends here Anthony. If however you feel you want to visit your new friends on the reservation, come to me and I will arrange with Billy Black that you can visit there. All I ask is that you never disappear again like you did today. We were all very worried about you and I will never forgive myself if something happened to you."

Carlisle hugged Anthony back as the boy threw his arms around his neck and he gave his son a quick peck on his forehead before Esme dragged him off to do the same.

Smiling at his little family, Carlisle closed his eyes and prayed to whoever would listen to give him strength to get through the next few years with his non-existent heart still beating. Anthony would be the death of him.

**End Chapter 3**

Please let me know what you think!

For those who don't know me, haven't read my other fics, English is not my first language so please forgive any errors in my writing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Family bonds

**Summary:** A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, they belong to JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.

**AN:** Just a quick note. Someone commented that the Cullens wouldn't be vulnerable to the wizards because they are very fast and can disarm them before they could get off a curse. I agree completely, but this is the way that Carlisle and his family sees things. Magic is new to them and they do not know what, if any, limits there are to these magic wielders. I did not want to put any doubt in their minds as to what magic can accomplish because then it would limit Harry's own imagination and his perception of what is possible. I hope this clears it up :)

**Chapter 4**

The first day of school was the day that Anthony realised just how similar all small towns were. Having grown up in Denali, Anthony knew that secrets or news traveled very fast in small towns and Forks was no different. Being the 'new' kid in school, Anthony received quite a lot of attention and questions. Having grown up in the Cullen house with five older siblings, Anthony knew how to handle the overbearing and oppressive classmates. That did not mean however that he enjoyed all the attention. As lunch came and went, Anthony made a mental note to search out the quiet places in school so that he would have somewhere to go for a bit of peace and privacy.

The day was not a total waste though and Anthony gave Esme a big hug as he got in the car and quickly told her all about his two new friends, Richard and Steven. Richard was the only son of the local butchers and was a shy but friendly boy whereas Steven had almost as big a family as Anthony, with four siblings, two brothers and two sisters. Unlike Anthony however, Steven was the oldest of the siblings and school was a much needed reprieve for the boy.

Anthony regaled her with all the happenings of his day, the teachers he could tell were strict and not to mess with as well as the teachers he thought were there just because there were no other job for them in the small town.

As they pulled into their garage, Anthony quickly jumped out of the car and rushed over to where Edward and Alice were pulling up. He wasted no time in jumping on Edward and repeated his earlier diatribe while clinging to his brother's back as he was carried into the house.

His brothers and sisters all listened with amused smiles as Anthony told them about his day and at his prompting, told him about their day as well. The school was apparently all aflutter with the beautiful Cullens in attendance and Edward bemoaned the fact that he could not simply tune out all their nonsensical prattle, both the verbal and non-verbal. Alice had apparently had a busy day, warning her brothers and sister whenever she saw a vision of one of the humans confronting them with the wish to join them for lunch or to meet at a coffee shop after school or even once where someone wanted to come up to Edward and tell him of the closet the janitor always neglected to lock where they would have some _privacy_.

Edward avoided the girl as best he could after Alice warned him of her vision but this was the one time where his avoidance of the issue (aka, the girl) actually instigated the whole thing and it was a decidedly grumpy Edward who extricated himself from the girl's clutches after she cornered him before gym period to show him exactly what they could get up to in the closet…

Anthony laughed just as hard as Emmett as Alice told them the whole story but as he looked at his grumpy brother, Anthony felt a constriction in his chest at the thought of the faceless girl getting all over Edward.

It was with much less enthusiasm that Anthony joined in their merriment and he gave himself a mental slap as he saw Esme's worried gaze linger on him. Shaking any last anger and confusion off, Anthony smiled and joined in with everyone else's teasing of his brother.

* * *

Carlisle looked over at his youngest son as they made their way into town for a rendezvous with the Blacks. It had become commonplace for him to drive Anthony into town where he would meet up with Jacob Black to spend the day, or even the night on the reservation. The year had passed quickly and even though his children had all mostly settled into routine again, Anthony brought a whole new dimension to their lives.

It was a struggle, for all of them, to allow Anthony such close relations with the wolves but true to his word, Carlisle had not stood in Anthony's way when it came to his choice of friends. The young Black had even visited them on some occasions and Carlisle dreaded the day that Jacob would go through his change because he had no doubt that his family would have a much harder time accepting the young wolf after his change than they did now.

Stopping in front of the local supermarket, Carlisle got out of the car at the same time as Anthony. He needed to make a few purchases to keep up appearances but just as he was turning to say goodbye to his son, he found himself frozen in place at the sight before him.

Anthony was gazing at his friends across the parking lot with a smile and a bright pink tinge to his cheeks. Carlisle had been around teenagers for long enough to know what caused such reactions and it was with a heavy heart that he realized his youngest son was growing up too fast. He did not know whom of the young people his son was meeting today had inspired such a reaction but it did not really matter. He would have to make another quick stop before returning home to make sure he had the right material for some much needed explanations after his son returned home the next day.

Never having to give "The Talk" before, Carlisle made a mental note to ask some advice from some of his colleagues at the hospital.

He gave Anthony a quick hug and a reminder to be home by five the next day and also cautioned him to call them should there be a problem and Billy could not drop him off at their house.

With a quick wave over his shoulder, Anthony made his way over to his friends and Carlisle turned to enter the supermarket.

* * *

Anthony laughed as Jacob chased him through the woods. Quill, Embry and a few other kids form the reservation were with them and they all laughed as Jacob tackled their young friend to the ground.

The roughhousing was something Anthony was quite used to, thanks to his brothers and he gave as good as he got. His friend grabbed hold of his leg just as he stood up and Anthony found himself flat on his face. Annoyance filled him but he also knew that it was all friendly play and if he put up a lot of fuss, he would only be a sore loser.

It was seven sweaty kids who made their way to Billy Black's house that night for dinner, movies and a sleepover. After setting up one massive bed for the boys and getting the two girls settled into Jacob's room, all the kids congregated in the living room for the movies.

Anthony found himself flustered half way through the movie but could think of no reason why he should feel so hot and uncomfortable. His friends were all mostly just watching the movie avidly, although he could see that the girls were talking quietly with each other and not really paying attention to the television.

His thoughts were in turmoil that night and Anthony just hoped that whatever was wrong with him was something that Carlisle could fix and that it was not something to do with his very unique gifts.

* * *

Anthony lay on his bed and closed his eyes so that he could concentrate better. He had found that he could do basically anything with his magic if he put his mind to it and at the moment, what he really wanted was some privacy.

It had been both humiliating and enlightening when Carlisle had sat him down one day to explain the workings of sexual relations. The fact that his father was a doctor helped a lot because although the explanations were much more detailed than what he had heard from his friends in school (whom had gone through similar talks with their fathers), it had been delivered clinically and with many medical terms – most of which had gone right over Anthony's head.

The month after "the talk", Anthony had been hard pressed not to blush a bright red whenever he was in the company of his family because he knew that even through Carlisle had pulled him aside and closed the door before starting his explanations, his family had still heard every word. It was only after Rosalie pulled him aside and told him that they were young once, that Anthony realized that his brothers and sisters had gone through similar experiences, even if it was a _very_ long time ago.

Now, three months later, Anthony had finally gathered his courage to go through some of the books his father had left him with but he refused to do so without his own brand of privacy.

Concentrating as hard as he could on blocking out all sound, Anthony waited for a moment and sighed in relief as the sound of birds chirping and the sound of the television downstairs cut off. He knew from experience that his room was now blocked off from the rest of the house and no matter how hard any of his family tried, they would not be able to hear a thing of what went on in his room. Not even Edward, Alice or Jasper would be able to sense anything from him.

With a content sigh, Anthony started flicking through the first book. His eyes grew bigger and bigger the further he went and even though most of the books just touched on the subject, Anthony found that he was most interested in what two boys did together. There was also a section for two girls but seeing as not even the thought of one boy and one girl really interested him, the thought of what two girls got up to together really didn't interest him at all.

The explanations of pleasure spots and stimulation, as well as _wanking_ had him panting and sweating on his bed. Foreign feelings were coursing through him and even though he knew that this was normal and to be expected, Anthony quickly closed the books and rolled over onto his front. This was a mistake though, the friction only caused him to pant louder and he truly wished he knew what to do. Scrambling off the bed, Anthony dashed into his en suite bathroom and opened the taps in the shower before dropping his pants and taking his shirt off.

He found that the cooling spray helped him to calm down a bit and after another twenty minutes of just standing under the spray, he closed the taps, dried himself off and collapsed onto his bed. With a groan, Anthony pulled the pillows over his head and cursed the fact that he was a teenager. He also cursed at whoever thought it a good idea to have boys go through something called puberty where they were slaves to their hormones.

**End Chapter 4**

So, what did you think of the chapter?

I thought that this was probably a very realistic take on how a boy who grew up in a loving environment, but where none of his family talked about their private lives, would respond to his own maturing and growing hormones.

Someone asked if Bella would be in this fic. Most probably yes….

Did Bella come to Forks before the new school year started - in other words, before September - or did she come during the school year?

The next chapter will probably be about the same length but after that, Anthony will be joining his siblings in High School and I hope to make the chapters longer by then...


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Family bonds

**Summary:** A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, they belong to JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.

**Chapter 5**

It was Anthony's last year in middle school and the last few months seemed to drag by at a snail's pace. Life in Forks was very similar to life in Denali with one major difference. Their sister coven was miles away and unreachable except by phone. Anthony missed his time spent with Tanya and the others. They were always fun to be with and he wasn't ashamed to admit that he missed their spoiling of him.

The vampires of the Denali coven had all promised that they would come to visit but as the years passed, Anthony began to wonder if it would actually happen. He knew that time passed differently for vampires, not in the sense that a 24 hour day was different for them but in the sense that years meant nothing to them. Five years could pass before they came to visit and for them it would all be the same, nothing would have changed.

For Anthony, five years was a long time, _one year_ was a long time! He was human damnit! No matter how much his family included him in their everyday lives, one thing remained the same, he was different. He was the human in the family of vampires. The meaning of this little fact was hitting home now and Anthony couldn't help but laugh hysterically as he thought about the fact that he was going to High School soon for the very first time while his siblings were all repeating their own school years for the umpteenth time.

Having never been in the same school as his siblings, Anthony had always been alone when it came to making new friends. Now that the school year was coming to a close, he realised just how much he was looking forward to seeing his siblings in school every day. Richard and Steven were alright but they were not family. Seeing his sibling in school and driving with them was something Anthony had been looking forward to for many years.

While his family felt abnormal and distanced from the rest of society, Anthony felt that _he_ was the odd one out in his family. He was the abnormal one, no matter how much his family treated him the same as everyone else in the coven. There were still instances where one or two of his siblings had to step in to protect him, from his own _brother_ no less! Jasper was improving in his control but if Anthony scratched his leg or got a paper cut, everyone had to jump in to avoid disaster.

His thoughts were chaotic and Anthony groaned as he turned his face into his pillow. Teenage angst was not a good feeling to experience and the fact that all these turbulent thoughts were re-introduced to his psyche now did not help his frustrations any.

He might be the abnormal one in his family, he might be the odd one out and sometimes feel like screaming at everyone that they just didn't understand! But at least he was unique, he was the _odd one out_, he was the one everyone focussed on! Now _she_ had come into their lives and Anthony _hated it!_

He had been looking forward to the coming school year. He had been ecstatic to finally be able to go to school with his family and join them during lunch to catch up on their day. Now however, Anthony wished that the school year would never end. He wanted to stay in middle school where he could brood his days away.

Isabella Swan. He hadn't even met her yet and already he hated her. Why? Because she was stealing all the attention of his family away from him! Alice had been going on and on about some visions she had seen but she never told them exactly what she saw and what was going to happen. Anthony wished that she had told him at least. Wished that she had prepared him.

Edward was a mess. He didn't want to go to school in fear of ripping the girl apart but on the other hand, he wanted to go so badly that he had to lock himself in his room and even beg Anthony to seal the door and windows magically so that he would not be able to get out.

What did _she_ have that pulled his brother to her so fiercely? What exactly had she done to warrant all the attention Edward and Alice bestowed on her?

One comfort for Anthony was that Rosalie hated the girl. She refused to listen to anything Alice had to say on the matter and she even encouraged Anthony to keep Edward locked up so that he could not go to the girl but rather stay where he belonged, with his family.

His door opened and Anthony turned his head to see who would dare disturb him now. Seeing Rosalie seating herself on his bed, Anthony turned onto his back and gave her a weak smile.

She pulled him into a strong hug but didn't say anything, which Anthony was grateful for. He didn't know if he was ready to listen to any platitudes or empty words.

His whole life he had two sisters and three brothers and loving parents. They were all the family he needed. He did not need another sister and did not _want_ another sister!

He had heard what Carlisle said. He knew that the girl was Edward's singer and that if he could get passed the blood lust that she could be his mate, his other half. What did that mean for the rest of the family? They would just have to accept that they were getting another sister? No questions about if they even _wanted_ another family member?

Anthony knew he was being selfish and unreasonable but he couldn't help it. The Cullens were his family, they were his life! Why mess with a good thing?

After five whole minutes of cuddling with Rosalie, Anthony felt a bit better. He discreetly wiped at his face but found that no tears had spilled and his smile became more genuine.

"Come on squirt, let's go get you some dinner and then Emmett and I will take you for a run in the forest."

Scowling at the pet name, Anthony brightened up at the idea of running through the forest with his siblings, it was his favourite pastime!

* * *

Edward looked at the girl as she took her seat beside him. The moment she had entered the classroom he had stopped breathing, knowing that his control could snap at any moment.

It was torture to sit through his classes with that heavenly smell prickling at his senses, enticing him. The fact that he couldn't read her mind made things ten times worse. He thought that if he could at least read her, it would distract him enough to keep his thoughts from returning to that oh so heavenly scent.

He snapped his eyes open as he realised he was leaning closer to her and that he had closed his eyes in the process. Damn, he had to get control of himself!

The last week at home had helped him centre himself again and although he had not paid any attention to his family or anything but his racing thoughts on the girl, he knew that most of his family would support him, no matter his choice.

He did not know if he would be able to reign in his monster and actually speak to the girl but he knew he had to try. The alternative was to drain her dry, which was not an option!

* * *

The days passed slowly but as his control improved, so did his communication skills and after a month, Edward found that he could hold his instincts back sufficiently enough that he was not afraid to be left alone with the girl.

When he recounted his days and experiences for his family at home, he found that something was wrong, something was missing but he could not put his finger on what. Rosalie was her usual insufferable self, Emmett was willing to back him up and Jasper was working on controlling himself. Alice stood by him solidly for which Edward was grateful and Carlisle and Esme were as supportive as ever. Anthony was still going through some teenage angst and problems but Edward knew that this was normal. The feeling of wrongness still filled him but Edward could not pinpoint the origin.

Summer holidays was approaching and Edward silently made his way to his room, mentally planning his days and what he and Bella could do together.

With a smile and a thought that maybe, finally, he had found his other half and would not be so alone anymore, Edward closed the door and started humming his favourite song.

**End Chapter 5**

Next Chapter will introduce Anthony to High School living…

What did you think of the chapter and story so far?

Should I get a Beta?


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Family bonds

**Summary:** A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, they belong to JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.

**AN:** Not sure who first thought of the concept but I am using the same concept that Athey uses in the brilliant fic "Harry Potter and the Decent into Darkness" where Harry has been actively fighting against the piece of Voldemort's soul since the night it happened.

**Chapter 6**

One thing Anthony knew for certain was that he loved his family above all else and that he would do anything within his power to protect them. That was why he was currently curled up on a chair in Carlisle's home office while his father worked through some papers for the hospital.

Isabella Swan posed a real threat for their family and as Edward drew closer to her every day, Anthony knew that he would have to ensure that she could not harm them, intentionally or not. Reading and learning about how the mind works was not something Anthony ever anticipated doing but necessity had forced his hand.

His powers had always been used for trivial things, like hiding from his family, moving from one place to another in the blink of an eye, things that he had been doing since he first found out he could use his magic at will. Now though, now he was specifically studying the human mind in order to better understand it so that he could use his powers in a way that would protect him and his family from the rest of the world.

He knew that Isabella was different from normal humans in the sense that she had a mysterious power that prevented Edward from reading her mind and even caused some confusion for Alice's visions. He was certain however that she was no match for him, his determination would certainly out match hers.

Finding the right section in the book, Anthony devoted weeks of studying to his project and after almost three weeks of non-stop reading and learning, he was at last satisfied that his idea would work.

Walking downstairs as swiftly and softly as he could, Anthony peered around the corner to find Isabella and Edward engrossed in their summer homework.

Knowing that there wouldn't be a better time for it, Anthony slid down on the bottom of the stairs and concentrated hard on what he needed to do. Envisioning as best he could the details of their everyday living, Anthony formed the thought in his head that the Cullen family was to be protected at all costs and that their secret needed to be kept even if it meant life or death. Pulling on his memory of what he had learned of the human mind, Anthony concentrated on guiding this very thought to Isabella and 'imprinting' – for lack of a better word – it on her subconscious mind. He could only imagine what Jacob would think of this description, 'imprinting' indeed!

There was a startled exclamation from Edward and Anthony thanked his stars that his job was finished before the distraction.

"What? What is it Edward?" Isabella asked after Edward had calmed down again but his attention was diverted to his youngest brother who tried his best to appear as if he had just walked down the stairs.

"Nothing, nothing. Just thought for a moment…. But no… must have been my imagination."

No amount of prodding from Isabella could get Edward to speak of it so Anthony soon lost interest and made his way out of the house.

He had a fair idea of what happened but would probably never find out for sure. His magic was still an unknown for them and even though his family had all gotten used to his privacy wards, as he called them, and his teleportation – Emmett's word – there were still a lot of things to be discovered, as he had just proven by ensuring that Isabella Swan would never be able to tell anyone their secrets.

Pushing a thought into someone's mind would most probably open that person's mind to any mind reader in the vicinity, even if only for a moment and Anthony could only smirk as he thought of how enticing that information would be for Edward.

Thoughts of Edward dampened his mood again and Anthony sighed deeply as he planted himself on the front steps of his home. The past four months had been as confusing as could be. One day he was happier than he could ever remember being and the next his mood was so low that he didn't want to get out of bed. There was no discernible pattern to his mood swings and Anthony feared that he was losing his mind.

His family all tried to cheer him up when he was down and they kept his spirits lifted when he was in a good mood, but although talking about school and his friends on the reservation could dampen or heighten his spirits depending on his mood, one thing stood out above all else. As soon as anyone mentioned Isabella Swan or if she came to visit, Anthony would brood for days on end. It was driving him mad!

The girl had done absolutely nothing to him or his family, indeed, she had managed to lift Edward's spirits as nothing had been able to before but that did not stop the insistent little voice in his head that encouraged him annihilate err…. alienate her.

Anthony chuckled to himself at his thoughts but swiftly wiped the smile from his face as Edward and Isabella made their way out of the house and to his brother's car. Seemed he was taking her home, at last.

* * *

The mood swings continued for the rest of the month but that was not the strangest thing that happened. His magic seemed to be rebelling or something because it kept on moving things without his knowledge and if he didn't know better, he would say that his power was growing by the day.

Well, truthfully, he didn't know better, as there was no way for him to know if this was normal for a teenager who could wield magic.

By the end of July, everything came to a sudden and complete halt, or rather, a climax. His magic seemed to burst from his very veins and as Anthony writhed in agony, he could see and feel all his family members surround him. Their anxiety and helplessness tore at him but there was nothing he could do or say while his magic kept on attacking him, or so it felt.

After what felt like an eternity, Anthony felt the pain abruptly disappear and as he opened his eyes again, he was shocked to find a black mist in the shape of a face floating infront of him. Eerie laughter echoed in the silent room as the spectre disappeared through the wall but Anthony had no time to think on it as his mother pulled him into a tight hug. Frantic whispers and questions followed right after but Anthony could not make anything out as his world spun and spots appeared before his eyes before he slumped in a dead faint.

* * *

The American magical society was split in three groups. Wizards and Witches, both pure of blood – meaning purebloods, halfbloods and muggleborns – as well as those of mixed blood – those who had creature blood in their veins, all answered to the laws and guidance of the American Wizarding Protectorate, which was similar in views and laws to those of the British Ministry of Magic.

Magical creatures who lived in the secret unplottable locations that most wizards and witches lived in, fell under the American Creature society, which was basically an extension of the American Wizarding Protectorate and their laws were mostly the same except in cases where they were even stricter – giants, sirens, merpeople, any creature that posed a direct threat if they were seen by a muggle because their appearance could not be explained with a few words or laughed off as the imagination running wild.

The last group was the creatures who lived among muggle society. Vampires, Werewolves, veela, shapeshifters or any number of creatures that could fit into the daily lives of the muggle population. Most of these creatures answered to their own higher council, the Volturi for the Vampires, the Lunar Arc for the werewolves, etc. The leader of each group was informed of the American magical society as soon as he/she took the position but was sworn to secrecy and only given an emergency portkey to the American Wizarding Protectorate offices in Washington.

For centuries, the creatures that live amongst muggles expressed their wishes to be left alone and to deal with their own problems in their own way. The council that was formed in the early thirteenth century agreed to their demands with the promise that should exposure ever be imminent, the wizarding world would interfere.

Except for one or two instances, the wizarding world had not been asked to clean up after any rouges or clashes between the species.

A great magical disturbance in the area of a pack of shapeshifters as well as a coven of vampires however, was cause for major concern.

The American Wizarding Protectorate offices was abuzz with speculation. Aurors were dispatched immediately as well as a few obliviators. The shifters and the vampire coven were unaware of the magical world and their memories would need to be changed if necessary.

Rector Raymond Hearst folded his hands together as he waited for his team of aurors to return, hoping that whatever had caused the magical disturbance was something benign, a false alarm.

**End Chapter 6**

Sorry, I know I said it would be Anthony's first year in high school but this little 'filler chapter' was needed for a grounding block.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** Family bonds

**Summary:** A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, they belong to JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.

**AN:** Not sure who first thought of the concept but I am using the same concept that Athey uses in the brilliant fic "Harry Potter and the Decent into Darkness" where Harry has been actively fighting against the piece of Voldemort's soul since the night it happened.

Thank you for the wonderful reviews and Constructive Criticism – I know that it has mostly been Narrative and not much Dialogue but that was done with reason and I hope that from here on out there will be more dialogue.

**Chapter 7**

Carlisle ushered his family out of his youngest son's room and softly closed the door behind him. Anthony's pain filled screams were still ringing in his ears but he knew there was nothing else they could do for him at the moment.

Just as they reached the living room, soft pops sounded from outside and with a few pointed glances and swift hand movements, his family positioned themselves at all entrances and windows. It did not take long for Carlisle to come to the conclusion that the trespassers were wizards and witches. They talked in whispers but it was loud enough for any of the Cullens to hear.

It seemed that something had triggered an alarm system in their offices and they were now searching for the source of the 'magical disturbance'. Carlisle dearly hoped that his assumptions were wrong and that the 'magical disturbance' they talked about were not connected to whatever had happened to Anthony.

Straightening up and walking calmly to his front door, Carlisle opened his home to the new visitors and ushered the shocked looking men and women in.

"We heard you the moment you appeared and could also hear everything you've said since then." Carlisle explained as one of the men opened his mouth to question him.

"Vampires" one of the woman explained to her colleague who had continued to look mystified. His face quickly cleared before scrunching up in disgust. The woman muttered something about "newbies" but it was very indistinct so not even the Cullens could be sure exactly what she said.

Well, that answered some questions for Carlisle. The magical world knew what they were and they were just as disgusted with vampires as the wolves. Not that it really came as a surprise to Carlisle, he had met very few people or creatures willing to tolerate them.

"Yes, well, as you probably heard, there was a magical disturbance in the vicinity of your home and we know that you have disagreements with the local pack of shifters. We hoped that it was nothing serious and that our intervention would not be necessary." The last came out as a question and Carlisle had to quickly think of what would be worse – should he let them think that there was a problem between the Quileute tribe and them, or should he tell them that there was another player that they were unaware of.

Unfortunately, whatever answer he would have come up with was interrupted by Anthony's door opening and his head popping over the banister.

The same woman who had immediately identified them as vampires did a quick headcount of the Cullen family and Carlisle knew what was coming before she opened her mouth.

"There are seven vampires listed with the Volturi as part of the Cullen family yet you have an eighth member. Do you know what the penalty is for changing someone and not informing the Volturi? Or for accepting another vampire into your family, also without informing the Volturi?"

Anthony had descended the stairs during the questioning and despite Carlisle's pointed and warning looks, he decided to answer the strangers.

"I am not in fact a vampire. I do live with the Cullens, they are my family, but they have not changed me – not yet." His voice was strong but Carlisle knew his son well enough to know that he was still in pain from whatever had happened earlier.

"A human? A human living with a coven of vampires? It's preposterous!" one of the men commented and Carlisle put a hand on Anthony's shoulder to stop him from acting on impulse.

"This is my son, Anthony and he has lived with us now for close to 13 years. The Volturi are aware of this but at my request, has not made this knowledge public – we do not want to attract the attention of other covens. As you can see for yourselves, there is nothing wrong with him nor any indication that any in my family will attack him – or any of you for that matter – so he is perfectly safe with us."

More blustering remarks and questions followed until one of the men cleared his throat loudly and announced that they would be back in a few hours.

The whole Cullen family looked on in shock as they all reached for a pin attached to their neck ties or scarves and disappeared with soft pops.

"We will have to tell them the truth dad, I don't think that I can handle this on my own anymore." Anthony announced as soon as the strangers had left.

Carlisle looked at his son and ushered the teen to a couch as it looked like he would fall over any second.

"What do you mean you won't be able to handle this anymore? What can't you handle? What can we do?" Edward knelt down next to Anthony and grabbed his hand. As soon as he did this however, he felt a sting through their clasped hands and quickly let go again. Anthony drew in a sharp breath at the action and closed his eyes as he tried to reign in his power.

Whatever had happened earlier now caused his magic to act erratically and Anthony found that he was at a loss as to what to do. He could feel the swirling power race through his veins and was astounded at the amount of power. Never before had he felt this amount of magic course through him.

"I don't know what happened but since I blacked out earlier, my magic has been going haywire and it feels like my power has more than tripled since the last time I used it. I always struggled to do things, had to really concentrate on gathering my magic before using it but now it feels like I have enough power on my fingertips to do anything I want, without having to concentrate!"

Carlisle pulled Edward a bit further away as it seemed his son was reaching to touch Anthony again and by Jasper's confused looks he could assume that there was an emotional reason behind it, more so than what was usual…

"Alright son, when the wizards return, we can tell them what we know and ask for their advice but if it looks for one second like they want to take you away, we _will_ stop them."

Receiving no objection from Anthony or anyone else, Carlisle settled back on the couch and slowly pulled Anthony onto his lap as he used to do when his son was a toddler. He could feel the electric charge that was his son's magic but it did not hurt him and the longer he held onto Anthony, the quicker it faded away.

* * *

Raymond Hearst listened carefully as his aurors told him what had transpired when they went to check on the coven of vampires and pack of shifters in Forks. Well, he mentally corrected, just the vampires so far…

He was quite certain that there was something they were missing about the whole situation and that did not sit well with him.

Making up his mind, he stood and announced that he would be accompanying them on their return trip to Forks. He needed to know what was going on and put this whole mess behind him.

Everyone gathered round and they used a single portkey to transport them all to the woods outside the Cullen's home – their individual portkeys were only keyed to transport them to the offices of the Protectorate so they commissioned one to take them to their desired destination.

As reported to him, the head of the family opened the door before they even reached it and ushered them inside.

"Good evening, I am Rector Raymond Hearst, Head of the American Wizarding Protectorate and you must be the Cullen family, or Olympic Coven as you are known by the vampires."

The shock which quickly flitted over their faces was masked within seconds but Raymond could see that he had unnerved them with his knowledge. What was interesting though was that they did not seem surprised that they were dealing with wizards and from what his aurors reported, they had not been surprised or confused about the _"soft pops" _which they had admitted hearing when they first arrived.

The only conclusion he could form was that the Cullen family somehow knew of the wizarding world but had not told anyone, even the Volturi, about their knowledge. Which begged the question, How did they know and Why didn't they tell anyone?

He was shocked once again when one of the vampires answered his questions before he could even voice them.

"My family knows about the wizarding world because I told them about it. I know about the wizarding world because, as you most probably know from your contact at the Volturi, I can read minds."

Raymond turned to look at each member of the coven and could see that they were just waiting for a fight to break out because of this breach of privacy.

Although he felt annoyed that someone could so easily read his mind, he had never invested time in studying Occlumency, he also knew that Vampire gifts were much different from wizarding magic and could not be used at one's leisure. The mind reader could no less stop reading someone's mind as a human could stop breathing just because he wished it.

"Let's please sit down and discuss all that has happened." Raymond said before any of his colleagues could start voicing their protests against the reading of their minds.

After everyone had settled down, Raymond turned his attention to the youngest member there. "So young man, I hear that you have been adopted into the Cullen family and have been living with them for quite some time?"

"Yes sir. They are my family, my mom and dad and brothers and sisters. They've been looking after me since I was about one year old."

The boy spoke with confidence and with affection which was quite clearly visible on his face. Raymond had no doubt that if he had to remove this boy from his family he would put up quite a fuss, not to mention that he would be heartbroken.

"Let me just confirm a few things before we get to the reason why we are here."

At everyone's nods, he continued. "You, Anthony if I remember your name right, were adopted by the Cullens in the muggle world – non magical world he clarified at their confusion – and are legally their son. You have been living with them for almost thirteen years and have been safe with them despite the fact that they are vampires and their instincts tell them that you are food."

Protests rose up from the whole family at that but instead of angering Raymond, it reassured him that this family of vampires truly cared for the human boy and did not mean him any harm.

"Very well, since the Volturi are aware of the situation and as I can see that you are well taken care of, we will not interfere with this arrangement."

The young boy gave a loud "Yay!" before launching himself at his "father" and wrapping his arms around him.

Raymond smiled indulgently at them before clearing his throat.

"Now that that is settled, the real reason we came was because earlier today there was a great magical disturbance in the area and we were concerned that there was a clash between you and the local pack of shifters.?" He voiced the last part as more of a question so as to inspire an answer from the vampires.

The family all exchanged glances before the head of the family nodded at Anthony. Interesting…

"Well sir… I, um, I guess it was my fault that…" the boy said softly and blushed as he trailed off.

Raymond raised an eyebrow at the admission and quickly asked him to elaborate.

"I have magic sir. Edward – he pointed to the mind reader – saw it in my mind when I was still a baby. He said he saw a man kill my mom with what we assume is a wand, then the man turned his wand on me but something happened and he was gone and then I was in the woods and then somewhere else and then more woods…" The boy rambled off quickly and Raymond held up his hand to slow him down.

"Slow down son, alright so your brother? saw in your mind that you had wizarding parents and that your mother was killed? What about your father?" He voiced this question not to Anthony but to the mind reader.

"What I saw in Anthony's mind was not very clear but I could hear a fight in the background, somewhere in the house but not where Anthony and his mother were and it sounded like the same words that killed his mother was shot at his father so we assumed that his father is dead."

At that Raymond stopped him and asked exactly how Anthony's mother was killed.

"The man, he had red eyes, pointed the wand at Anthony's mother and said _"Avada Kedavra"_ and then she was dead. I'm certain that it was the exact same words I heard the man with the red eyes shout minutes before that at Anthony's father."

Raymond closed his eyes at that. The killing curse. Nothing could stop the killing curse and the only way to avoid it was to dodge out of the way. The red eyed man was most probably Voldemort, the Dark Wizard that had terrorized Magical Britain more than a decade ago and since this coincided with Anthony's story, it was possible that this was the very same man.

"Very well then. Anthony, you said that you were responsible for the magical disturbance. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I don't know sir. My magic had been out of control lately and then today it just sort of 'snapped', I guess…

I was watching something on the television when the pain started. At first it wasn't too bad but it grew so bad that I blacked out. I don't know how or why but it seemed like my magic burst out of me and when it did, there was a black mist in the shape of a face which laughed at me before it disappeared. Since then, my magic has been thrumming through my hands and it hurts a bit but not too bad. It just feels like it wants to be used, like it wants to escape…"

"Sorry, it doesn't make any sense… Sorry sir.."

Raymond took a moment to take all this in and he sent a warning look to Peters who was on the verge of bursting out with questions.

"It sounds like you had some kind of block on your magic. This usually doesn't happen on its own so maybe your parents did it when you were a baby or you did it yourself because you were scared. We will have to do more research to find out exactly what happened. For now, it seems like you need to purchase a wand and then enrol in a magic school."

Before he could continue, protests arose from the whole Cullen family, Anthony included.

"No, he is not leaving us!"

"You can't take him away!"

"Don't you dare take my brother you…"

"I don't want to go! You can't make me!"

Raymond held up his hand once again for silence and everyone reluctantly settled down.

"There are other options available if you are so against going to a school for magical children. We can arrange for a tutor during the day, maybe in the afternoons? Or we can replace the block on your magic which means that you won't be able to practice magic or use it…"

Anthony looked towards his father and Raymond could almost see the wheels turning in their heads. The boy was powerful, that much was clear from the fact that the magical disturbance had registered on their scales. Normally accidental magic only registered at the 'misuse of magic' department, not the auror department. Why and how his magic had been blocked was still a mystery, especially if he took into consideration that Anthony had apparated, not once but multiple times – from the mind reader's description – when he was just a baby. If they had to block his magic again, it would be such a waste of talent and Raymond would be loath to do it.

"I will discuss it further with the rest of my family in private but what does the tutoring entail?"

Raymond let out a soft breath of relief at where this was heading and he quickly explained exactly how and when the tutor would come to teach Anthony, the fees involved and also what he would need to buy in order to learn all aspects of magic.

* * *

Anthony stood before the open doors of their house as he waited nervously for his tutor to arrive. Mister Hearst had assured them that the tutor was one of the best free-lance teachers in the country and that she would get him up to speed for wizards his age in no time.

When asked about the schooling, Mr Hearst had explained that children usually started their formal magical education at the age of eleven but since Anthony had the block on his magic, he had not registered on their scans of the local states. Since his block was now broken, his magic was clearly strong enough to show up on their radar and thus the need to educate him on how to use it properly.

A sleek black convertible pulled up to the house and Anthony raised an eyebrow, impressed despite himself. He had started to think that wizards and witches were always in a hurry and only travelled by a means which would instantly get them to where they needed to be, completely missing the wonderful experience you can only find by driving a car and the wind blowing through your hair.

"Good morning Miss Harvey, I am Anthony Cullen. Please, come in." Anthony introduced himself as he stepped aside to let the witch in. His mother was waiting in the lounge for them and greeted the tutor with a smile as she offered some refreshments.

"Good morning Anthony, Mrs Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm looking forward to working with you Mr Cullen."

Anthony smiled genuinely at his new tutor, he could see that she was sincere in her greeting and that she held no disgust or resentment toward his mother. A plus point for her in Anthony's books.

"Let us start by getting to know each other a little better and you can tell me how you found out that you are a wizard, I'm sure it will be an interesting tale as most of my students start their lessons when they are between ten and twelve years old."

With a smile, Anthony told her his story, from his baby years up until the incident which brought the aurors to their doorstep. Miss Harvey listened intently as he talked and did not interrupt him once. When he finished his tale, she sat back in her chair and surveyed him with barely hidden excitement.

"Oh this will be an interesting year indeed! Please, tell me again the story of how you used to hide from your siblings, how you caught them off guard and pounced on them…"

Anthony found it a bit strange that she was so interested in his misbehaviour but complied with her request and told his story once again, this time giving more detail and with more enthusiasm.

_Wandless controlled magic! And in one so young! Never mind the fact that he had a block on his magic at the time. His control will be shot now but with his power and the will to learn, he will be a force to be reckoned with. _Gertrude Harvey thought to herself as she surveyed the young man in front of her.

When Raymond had first approached her with the request to teach a boy of fourteen years, she had been sceptical. However, as soon as he had explained that a block had been removed from the boy's magic recently and that was the reason why they only now found him, she had been intrigued. As Anthony explained his situation to her, she found that she was very glad Raymond had called her and she held back her excitement and enthusiasm as best she could.

Better not to scare the boy off before they even started!

* * *

Anthony concentrated on keeping the pillow afloat in the air and directed his magic in the direction of his tutor, gliding it slowly into her hands. The two weeks of intensive training was coming to an end because muggle school – Anthony had even begun to think of normal schools as _muggle_ schools – started the next day. Miss Harvey was a wonderful tutor, if a little hyper, and Anthony smiled in amusement as she threw the pillow into the air before shouting at him to stop it mid-flight.

Concentrating again on the new order, Anthony did as requested and stopped the pillow in mid-air, about two meter off the ground, waiting for the next order.

After listening to his story that first day, Miss Harvey had decided that Anthony should show her exactly what he was already capable of and since then, she had refused to take him shopping for a wand, explaining that a wand would only hold him back. Since Anthony knew nothing about the magical world or how things worked and since he knew that _his_ way of doing things got the results he wished, he found no reason to object.

"Wonderful Anthony! You are a natural at charms, although, the way that you use your magic might not be classified in distinct sections such as charms and transfiguration but however you do it, you do it very well!"

Anthony laughed softly at her enthusiasm and they both moved into the kitchen to get some water after the hour of shouting and obeying orders and such.

"Alright, so tomorrow after school I want you to work on blocking things. Get one of your siblings to throw stuff at you, pillows, bricks, grenades, whatever you fancy…"

Chocking on his water, Anthony raised wide eyes at his tutor only to find her cracking up at her own joke. Giving her a last wary look, Anthony settled his glass down on the table, not willing to take the chance that she might say something else to get him to spew it all over the place.

"Seriously, blocking, that's your next assignment and when I see you in three days, be ready for anything I might throw at you." The serious tone in her voice made Anthony think that she might just use the exact things she had been joking about a minute ago to test his blocks.

"Esme! Good to see you again! Give my regards to your husband and children, I'm afraid I'm off, have another student to see this afternoon. Gotta be there on time if I want to keep my job…"

Anthony just shook his head as his tutor downed the rest of her water and scurried out of the kitchen while Esme stared after her in bewilderment.

"If you didn't improve so drastically under her tutelage, I swear I would ask for someone else to fill in for the job. It can't be healthy being around someone with that much energy the whole day…" Anthony laughed at his mother, knowing that she was fibbing with him and that his whole family was delighted with his tutor. The very first human, except for Anthony, to accept them all immediately just as they were.

Isabella didn't count in Anthony's books as she was still hesitant around Jasper and barely tolerated Rosalie, or was it the other way around? Didn't matter, she didn't count as far as Anthony was concerned.

Giving his mother a quick peck on the cheek, Anthony rushed up to his room to pack for the new school year. Tomorrow a new period in his life started, the very first time that he would be attending school with his siblings, well, two of them at least…

**End Chapter 7**

Please let me know what you think… :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** Family bonds

**Summary:** A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, they belong to JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.

**IMPORTANT AN:** Just to clear things up, the Horcrux is completely gone now, Anthony had unconsciously been holding it back all these years and though I haven't made it clear yet, what happened with Anthony in the previous Chapter was a Magical inheritance, he reached his magical majority and the influx of power gave him the boost needed to get rid of the Horcrux once and for all.

Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews and comments, it is much appreciated!

**Chapter 8**

Anthony dragged his sisters from shop to shop in search of something to wear to the birthday party the following night. Although he didn't like Isabella, he was not going to miss the chance to get new clothes just because he didn't want to attend her party.

Rosalie and Alice laughed delightedly as Anthony pulled another set of designer jeans from the rack and quickly turned to find some shirts that matched.

"Try this one Anthony, it would really enhance those gorgeous eyes of yours." Rosalie said as she handed him a wine red shirt that would also fit very nicely with the black denims he had chosen.

Grabbing the shirt his sister held out, Anthony turned and made his way to the fitting rooms. He could already tell that the clothes would make him look fantastic so he just had to make sure to get the right sizes. The denims fit well but Anthony thought he might be able to squeeze into a smaller size and so asked Alice to fetch him one size smaller.

Perfect! It was a tight fit but enhanced his form in all the right places.

Whistling and laughter met him as he paraded his ensemble for his sisters. Anthony blushed a bit but since he already knew that he looked good, he squashed the embarrassment down.

"Do you think I should get her a gift?" The tone of the question and the frown on his face let Rosalie and Alice know exactly how he felt about the subject.

Alice was just about to answer when Rosalie cut her off. She knew that Alice liked Bella and would most likely be in favour of Anthony getting the girl something. Rosalie on the other hand felt very differently.

"No Anthony, she is not your friend, you don't even really know her all that well and she has never made any effort to get to know you. Edward, as her boyfriend, could get her something as well as anyone else who is a friend." She sneered a bit in Alice's direction at this but then continued.

"I have not bought her a gift and don't intend to, neither did anyone else except Edward, Alice and Esme. Esme can be forgiven since she is always nice to everyone." Rosalie sniffed a bit at the end and Anthony laughed at her haughtiness as he linked his arm with hers. He felt a bit bad at badmouthing a friend of Alice but he honestly couldn't help it.

"Are any of her other friends from school coming?"

"No. Carlisle has no problem with her coming but he drew the line there, knowing that any more humans in the house would be testing Jasper's control beyond his limits." Rosalie answered as they climbed into the car.

"Hmmm, that's something at least. I really don't know what she sees in Jessica and that lot, but then, this is Isabella we're talking about…" Anthony sneered and Rosalie smirked at the implied insult.

"Yes well, I know for a fact that you will be the best dressed and most handsome, attractive human in attendance."

* * *

Edward looked down at Bella fondly as she opened her gift. He was glad that she was sitting so near him and that her smell permeated the air so thoroughly. The past month Edward had noticed a change in their house, especially regarding Anthony and it had been driving him to distraction. Having Bella practically in his arms, provided him with a much needed reprieve from his confusing emotions.

Ever since Anthony had woken up from what they now knew were a magical inheritance, his brother's smell had changed. What had once been a slightly muted sweetness, was now almost overwhelming for Edward and he had to stop himself on numerous occasions from accosting his brother.

Edward also knew that Jasper was similarly struggling as Anthony's scent had always been on the stronger side of 'normal human sweetness'. He was worried that Jasper would snap one of these days. It had been years since his brother last lost control because of Anthony but this new temptation would soon drive him to the brink.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Edward helped Bella to put the necklace he bought her on.

"It's beautiful Edward! Thank you!" Edward smiled at her and kissed her forehead before she quickly stood and went off to show Alice her gift.

Looking around the room, Edward frowned as he realised that Anthony wasn't there. In fact, he hadn't seen Anthony at all that evening.

Just as a sharp cry of pain filled the air and the scent of blood filled his senses, Edward found that he could not look around to see what happened to Bella. He couldn't take his eyes off the vision his brother made as he descended the stairs. Anthony looked like a model from a magazine and Edward swallowed hard as venom pooled in his mouth.

A blur running passed him shook him from his stupor and Edward looked on in horror as Jasper raced towards Anthony. The scent of blood was thick in the air and although it came from the opposite side of the room, the closest human, the closest _prey_, was Anthony.

He knew even before he started to move that he would be too late. A feeling unlike any other overcame him then, it felt as if his heart was constricting, shrivelling and dying. The thought of losing Anthony was more than he could take. Not just the thought of losing his brother but _Anthony_, Anthony was so much more.

Sound and feeling were foreign concepts to him. There was a shrill ringing in his ears but his mind felt as if it was filled with cotton. When his brain at last processed what his eyes were seeing, Edward felt that he could move again. There was a bright shield surrounding his brother who, although scared, was looking at Jasper with sympathy and regret.

As he reached Anthony, Edward found that he could not reach beyond the shield and so he turned his attention toward Jasper. It really was not a funny situation and Edward was certain that it was the adrenalin causing it but he could not keep from laughing as he grabbed Jaspers arms and pinned them behind his back. Every single member of his family was there with them, Emmett was now pulling on both Jasper and himself to get them moving away from Anthony. Rosalie and Esme were hovering and flittering around Anthony while Carlisle and Alice were standing close by, keeping an eye on the whole situation.

The thing that Edward found funny was that everyone had apparently forgotten about Bella. The scent of blood was still in the air but not as potent as before and as Edward passed his hold on Jasper over to Carlisle, he made his way over to his girlfriend to make sure her wound was covered and then escorted her to his car.

No matter how well the wound was wrapped, the smell of blood would still escape the bandage and that was something that they could not afford.

"Wh… what was that? What did Anthony do?"

The quiver in her voice, the fear and uncertainty was something that Edward had expected the very first time Bella found out that he was a vampire. Knowing what he did now, that she had never feared him or what he was, Edward could not help but wonder why Anthony's gift was inducing this reaction from her.

If there was ever a time he truly wished he could read Bella's mind, this was it.

"I… I mean… That, it looked like…. _Magic_" The last word was whispered and Bella looked around herself as if fearing someone else would hear her say a forbidden word.

Edward frowned at her and carefully considered his options. On the one hand, there really was only one logical explanation, the truth! Anything else would just not explain how that shimmering barrier had kept _vampires_ from touching Anthony. On the other hand, the way that Bella said _magic_, the way she was looking around as if waiting for lightning to strike her down, Edward thought that she might not be able to handle the truth.

"Is Anthony, did he…. Is….." Bella floundered for a while but before Edward could form any kind of response, she started again.

"You being a vampire, I can understand. It is, it's something that is out of your control. You didn't choose to be one, you don't actively _practice_ at being one and you eat animals, not humans. But…. but if what Anthony did…. if that is _magic_, I, that, no….. no, no, no. Magic is evil, the bible says, "_do not suffer a witch to live_", in Deuteronomy 21:21 it says _"Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid"_. You… Your brother….."

Edward looked at Bella and found that he had no reply, no response to what she had just said. That she thought his brother, his little Anthony was evil, was a monster worse than what he was…. It just didn't bare thinking of. One thing he knew for certain though, Bella could not be trusted with this information. As soon as she got home, she would tell her father about Anthony and who knew what would happen then?

Luckily, whatever answer Edward could have given was interrupted by familiar sounding cracks. Bella gasped as two men materialized in front of them.

"Good evening." Edward greeted them politely.

He knew from what he read in the wizards minds the last time someone came to talk about Anthony's education that it was possible to change people's memories. He never thought he would actually ask any of them to do this but now, knowing what he did about Bella's viewpoint on magic, Edward found himself actually considering the idea.

"Mr Cullen, Ms….."

"Swan, this is my girlfriend, Isabella Swan." Edward introduced but as Bella just continued to look at the men in horror, Edward found himself at a bit of a loss.

"Er, well, she had a bit of a shock tonight. She saw my brother conjure a shield and she needs a bit more time to process everything."

"I… no, no need to process anything. That is, he is abnormal! Evil! We must do something Edward. Get the people together and plan the best way to deal with it."

Edward lowered his head and had to bite back an angry retort. The wizards who had just joined them were running various scenarios and outcomes through their minds but the most prominent one was to _obliviate_ Bella and change her memories so that she would forget everything that happened tonight.

Any lingering doubt he might have had about messing with Bella's mind was taken away as she kept on muttering about exorcism and stoning and various other methods to _deal_ with Anthony.

"Obliviate her." His request was directed at the two wizards and they looked at him in surprise before turning their attention back to Bella and one of them aimed their wand at her.

"_Obliviate!"_

* * *

Anthony could tell that something had shifted in Edward and Isabella's relationship. Isabella was still her usual, normal self, but Edward was acting strangely toward her and seemed to analyse each and every sentence, as if looking for hidden meanings.

He could tell that Isabella was getting a bit frustrated with Edward but didn't know how to deal with whatever was bothering him.

Edward had explained to everyone when he got home that day that the wizards had changed Isabella's memories since she was an 'exposure risk' to the magical community. This was something that Anthony had not really thought about and found that he wanted to kick himself for risking not only his safely, but his whole family by doing magic in front of the girl.

There had been a moment, a couple of days after the party where Anthony had feared that they would all move again but Anthony, and strangely enough, Edward, begged Carlisle to stay and work everything out.

Edward had been the one who actually suggested that they move away from Forks and from Isabella after the birthday incident which was why Anthony found it strange that he was now begging to stay rather.

The fact that Edward was actively avoiding Isabella and treating her a bit 'coldly', made the whole thing even stranger. Anthony promised himself that he would get to the bottom of it all.

Gertrude was of course very glad that they weren't moving as she had taken quite a liking to Anthony and was always very excited about teaching him new things about his magic.

The shield he had conjured during the party was the topic of conversation for a few of their lessons as apparently, most shields that wizards and witches conjured were created to shield them from _magic, _from _energy_ and not from physical objects or people. Anthony demonstrated his shield again and after quite some time and experimentation, Gertrude was finally able to duplicate his shield and promised him shared 'patent rights' on the creation of this new spell.

"New spell? But Gertrude, I thought shields has been around for centuries?"

"They have Anthony, but never has anyone been able to create a shield that would propel physical objects. Even wizards use umbrellas to shield them from rain as there is no spell that performs this function, well, until now that is."

After that, Anthony and Gertrude fell into a discussion about what was actually possible in the realm of magic and what was not. Years of indoctrinate beliefs were brought into question now and Gertrude felt that Anthony should not put any 'limits' on his magic. She explained that most wizards and witches learned from a young age all that their parents and teachers wanted them to know but she felt that this limited their beliefs on magic. If you believed that it was impossible to change a couch into a bed then you would never be able to do it, but if you believed that you could stop a speeding train in its tracks within one second, then you could do it.

Anthony felt that this explanation was taking it a bit far but since he had never actually endeavoured to stop a speeding train, he didn't know if it was in fact possible to do so. The logic behind her explanations was undisputable so Anthony promised that he would never say anything was impossible until he actually tried it.

One day, as Anthony moved through the halls of the school towards his next class, he overheard Edward and Isabella talking. It was clear to him that they were nearing the end of their debate, or argument rather, but he stopped and listened all the same.

"Why the sudden interest in my beliefs Edward? I have told you before that I don't care that you are what you are. You didn't choose to be this Edward, and you try your best to be 'normal', you're a vegetarian for lack of a better word!"

"Yes Bella, I know that and I'm grateful that you're so open minded but that does not answer my question! What are your beliefs regarding magic? Wizards and witches?"

Anthony held his breath, this would sort of explain Edward's behaviour as of late, although not hundred percent as Anthony still did not know why Edward was suddenly so interested in what Isabella thought of magic.

"Magic is the devil's tool! If someone practices magic, they should be put to death for their devil worshipping!"

Anthony felt something within his heart constrict at that. It wasn't that he cared what Isabella of all people thought of his talents, it was that she had such a profound influence on Edward that Anthony was scared of what her opinion would mean in regards to his relationship with Edward.

"Thank you Bella. That is all I needed to know. I can't say that I agree with you but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Now, if you would excuse me, I have some things that I need to take care of."

With that Edward left the bemused Isabella standing in the corridor and Anthony silently slid away from the wall and made his way towards his next class.

_What on earth was that all about?_

**End Chapter 8**

Just to make things clear, I needed Edward to come out and ask Bella about her thoughts on magic (even though he already knows about it), so that Bella and the rest of the Cullens could understand why he suddenly drew away from her – he did this on purpose so that his family would understand. Bella will still be bewildered about his reaction to her beliefs since she doesn't remember her encounter with Anthony but the rest of the Cullens will now better understand Edward's shift in emotions and actions.

**EDIT: **

I'll explain the whole 'shield creating' thing better in the next chapter or after that. The reason why she has rights to the shield is because even though Harry created it, the way in which he created it is not something that anyone else could just duplicate. They can't just look at his shield and say oh, I want to create one and then do it. Harry's magic works very differently from others as he does not need incantations or a wand.

Gertrude had to study Harry's shield for a long time and experiment with it's effects to eventually create one with wand movements and incantation. That is why she has rights to the patent and such. There will be more spell creation in the fic and most of them will be similar to this one.

Sorry that it wasn't explained very well yet in this chapter but Harry is still young and does not yet understand what exactly it means that he created a whole new spell and the financial benefits connected to it. Gertrude will definitely go about the registration of the new spell legally and will include Harry/Anthony's name in it so that he will receive his share of the profits.

Please review and let me know what you think!


End file.
